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PESHAWAR, Oct 26: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government should not pressurise the federal government for holding peace talks with Taliban.

Talking to journalists before attending the party’s provincial Shura meeting here at the JUI-F central secretariat on Saturday, he also said that Taliban were sincere in meaningful dialogue with the government to end violence in the region.

He reiterated that tribal jirga was the proper forum to facilitate negotiations between the government and Taliban. Referring to the statements of the provincial ministers in Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa Assembly who criticised the centre for delay in starting talks with Taliban, Mr Rehman said that the coalition government should not exert unnecessary pressure on the federal government.

He said that people running the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had no political experience and they should let responsible quarters to work out a strategy for negotiations with Taliban. KP Senior Minister Sirajul Haq had told the provincial assembly on Friday that if the federal government failed to negotiate peace with Taliban, then the provincial government would assume the responsibility.

About Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’ visit to America, the JUI-F chief said that the government had set new guidelines and priorities for bilateral relations with Washington. Earlier, the JUI-F Shura meeting discussed the proposed local government system to be implemented in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and upcoming local bodies elections in the province. Sources said that the Shura opposed
the local government bill tabled in the provincial assembly and it was decided that the JUI-F and other opposition parties would not allow the coalition government to pass the bill in its current shape.

It was alleged at the Shura meeting that international non-governmental organisations had prepared the local government bill which was being imposed on the KP.

Qazi Ayazuddin who briefed the Shura told Dawn that the JUI-F would resist the proposed law inside the assembly and would bring amendments in consultation with other opposition parties, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Awami National Party and Pakistan People’s Party.

He was of the view that the proposed system would destroy the existing administrative structure of the province.

He said that the proposed law was not feasible administratively and financially.

The Shura demanded holding local bodies elections on party basis. It also demanded to drop establishment of village councils or neighbourhood councils which had been proposed in the bill, because it would be very expensive exercise.

“It will become very difficult to accommodate 50,000 councillors if the government goes for establishment of around 4,000 village councils in the province,” said Qazi Ayaz and added that holding elections on non-party basis at the village or union council level would encourage horse trading.